'1 Cr Doses Still With States, More To Be Delivered In 2-3 Days': Health Minister On Vaccine Shortage

Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, the Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that the states have been allocated vaccines as per their performance in terms of vaccination. 

While several reports have surfaced quoting state governments complaining over shortage of covid-19 vaccines in hospitals, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan clarified that there was no dearth of vaccine stock in the country. 

Speaking to the media on Thursday afternoon, the Union Health Minister said that the states have been allocated vaccines as per their performance in terms of vaccination. 

"We allocate vaccines to states as per their performance in terms of vaccination. We have given more than 16 crore doses of vaccines to states out of which more than 15 crores doses have been administered. That means over 1 crore doses are still left with states," Harsh Vardhan said. 

The minister went on to say that some lakh doses are in pipeline and will be delivered in next 2-3 days. "Since beginning of vaccination, not a single day has passed when states were not given vaccine doses as per their capacity," Harsh Vardhan added. 

He asked the citizens not to run in panic and rush to hospitals due to lack of knowledge. The minister clarified that Oxygen was available in adequate quantity earlier also and now it is being made available from many sources -- by mobilising it from industry and abroad, and by making available storage tankers and cryogenic tankers. 

India in the past 24 hors registered 3,79,257 new COVID19 cases, 3645 deaths, and 2,69,507 discharges as per the Union Health Ministry. The Indian Council of Medical Research informed that 28,44,71,979 samples tested up to 28th April 2021, for COVID19. Of these, 17,68,190 samples were tested yesterday.